Panic-bolt.



A. A. PAGE.

PANIC BOLT. APPLICATION FILE-D MAR. 4,19I4.

Patented June 22, 1915.

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6T4 MAM THE NORRIS PETERS CO4, PHO7U-LITHO- WASHINGTON, D. C.

Patented June 22, 1915.

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PANIC BOLT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 4. 1914.

WITNESS? @Q- /04 on THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON, 0.C.

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ALBERT A. PAGE, OF EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 SABGENT 8?;COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, COZNIN-lil(3113101153, A CQBPDRATION OFCONNECTICUT.

ammo-Bow.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 11915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. PAGE, a citizen of the United States,residing in East Haven, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Panic-Bolts, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to panic bolts or emergency bolt mechanism forthe doors of schoolhouses, theaters, and similar buildings, and itrefers more particularly to mechanism of this kind in which one or morebolts are employed.

In the particular form of my invention selected for illustration, thereare two bolts adapted to be mounted on the stile of the door, one ofthem cooperating with a socket or keeper in the lintel, and the otherwith a socket or keeper in the floor, and in the following description Ishall refer to a plurality of such bolts, but it will be understood thatin the broader aspects of the invention the number of bolts isimmaterial.

The primary object of the invention is to provide improved means forlocking the bolts in retracted position as they are released to open thedoor. This permits the subsequent closing of the door by taking hold ofthe bolt operating lever, or other member, at the inside of the door,without causing the bolts to be projected before they are in position toshoot into their keepers. Moreover, my improved construction is such asto reduce to a minimum the likelihood of an unauthorized person damagingthe bolt mechanism by tampering with it when the door is open. Thedetent mechanism for locking the bolts in retracted position isselfacting, and so constructed and arranged that the bolts can only bereleased by one familiar with the mechanism, having a proper key or toolfor the purpose intended.

Another object of the invention is the general improvement inconstruction and operation of emergency bolt mechanism of the typewherein a plurality of bolts are actuated by a single actuating lever.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel featuresand combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary inside elevationof a door, equipped with panic bolt mechanism, em-

bodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of thebolt actuating mechanism, showing the actuating lever in its depressedposition corresponding to the retracted position of the bolts; Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the operating mechanism, showing the lever in itselevated position; Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing the lever in itsdepressed position; Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the bolt retractingmechanism, with the back plate of the case omitted, showing the boltsprotracted; Fig. 6 is a similar view, with the bolts omitted, and withthe'parts in a position corresponding to the retracted positions of saidbolts. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is an enlargedsection on line 88 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 9 is an enlarged section on line9-9 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1, 10 is a doorequipped near the free edge thereof with a bolt 11, adapted to enter asocket or keeper in the lintel 12, a bolt 13, adapted to enter a socketor keeper in the floor, and bolt actuating mechanism 14, including anoperating lever 15. The lever 15 projects outward from the door at aboutthe angle shown in Fig. 3 when the bolts are protracted, and when apanic occurs one or more persons in pushing against the lever 15voluntarily or involuntarily will move the lever downward into theposition shown in Figs. 2 and 1, and thereby retract the bolts so thatthe door is free to be pushed outward.

Referring now to the details of the mechanism, the retracting mechanism14 includes a rim case 16, adapted to be secured to the inside face ofthe door by means of screws, passing through the screw holes 17 andhaving a back plate 18 (Figs. 79) detachably secured in place by meanswell known in the art. Projecting forwardly from the front wall 16 ofthe case 16, are parallel ears or lugs 19, and fitting between saidlugs, and in an opening 160 between them in the front wall of the case,is the shank portion 15 of the lever 15. This lever is pivoted to thecase by means of a pivot pin 20, passing through registeringperforations in the lugs 19 and shank 15 The outward, or free end, ofthe operating lever 15 is enlarged laterally with respect to the shank15 to provide an operating head 15 of appropriate shape.

The pivot20 of the lever 15 is located intermediate of the ends of saidlever, the latter being provided at a point within the case 16 with arounded extremity 15. Moreover, that portion of the lever adjacent thepivot 20 is cut away at opposite sides to receive the links 21 and 22,by which the retracting mechanism is connected with the upper bolt 11and lower bolt 13 respectively. The lower end of the upper link 21projects forwardly out of the case 16, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7 forwhich purpose the front wall 16 of the case is provided with a suitableopening 23, communicating withthe opening 160 between the lugs 19. Theshank 15 of the lever 15 is cut away at the side, at the upper partthereof, as indicated at 24, to accommodate the lower extremity of thelink 21, which is pivoted to the lever 15 by a pin 25 at a point on oneside of the main pivot 20. Similarly, the link 22 is accommodated in acut out portion 26 on theopposite lower side of the shank 15 and saidlink is pivoted to the main operating lever by a pin 27 locatedoppositely with respect to the pin 25 in reference to the main pivot 20.Hence, as the lever 15. is moved downward from the position shown inFig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4:, the links will be moved toward eachother, thereby retracting the respectivebolts.

' The bolts 11. and 23 are preferably of, semicylindrical form, andslide in extensions 28 and 29 on the case 16, being connected with therespective links by means of pins 21*, 22*.

A spring 30 projecting forwardly from the back plate 18 is adaptedto'engage a notch-3l in the lever shank 15-, whereby the lever 15 whenonce moved into the position shown in Fig. 7 will be held in thatposition without jarring loose. The pivot pin 27 connecting the lowerlink 22 with the operating lever, being located at the rear face of thefront wall 16 of the case is adapted to act as a stop, for which purposesaid pin is extended laterally to one side of the lever, as shown inFigs. 5, 6 and 8. When the bolts are extended, as shown in Fig. 5, thepin 27 abuts the front wall of the case, as Shown, and thereby acts as astop. When the bolts are withdrawn, the pin 27 is moved through an arcof a circle into contact with r the front wall of the case at anotherpoint,

as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. In this manner, one of the pivot membersconnecting the operating lever with one of the bolts acts to limit themovement .of the operating lever in both directions.

The detent mechanism for holding the lever 15 in its depressed position,corre sponding to the retracted position of the bolts, is associatedwith the shank 15 of the lever, and confined for the most part betweenthe lugs 19, between which said lever is pivoted. In the form shown, thepart 15 of the operating lever is provided with a transverse bore 82, inwhich operates a plunger 33. A spring 34 in the bore or socket 32 actsat one end on the plunger 33, guided in said bore or socket, and at theop posite end against the inner face of one of the lugs 19. The plunger33 is provided with a pin or projection 35, as best shown in Fig. 9,which is adapted to slide in contact with the inner face of the otherlug 19. When the operating lever is depressed, as shown in Fig. 4, thepin 35 of the plunger 33 comes into alinement with an opening 86 in theadjacent lug 19, and is forced outwardly into said opening by the spring34, as shown in Fig. 9, whereby the lever 15 is firmly locked againstmovement. Hence, the operating lever is automatically locked in positionwhen it is pressed downward to release the bolts and permit the openingof the door. When it is desired to close the door again, this may beeffected by grasping the lever 15, which is usually the only projectionon the inside of the door which would serve as a hand-hold, and in thisoperation said lever cannot be shifted in such a manner as to projectthe bolts while the door is closing. When the door is fully closed asuitable key, or other instrument, is inserted into the opening 36 inorder to press the plunger or bolt 33 out of locking engagement with itscoeperating lug 19, whereupon the lever may be again elevated in anobvious manner.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the locking mechanism associatedwith the operating lever is of very simple construction, that it iscalled into action automatically on the opening of the door, and that itprevents the bolts from being thrown outward during the closing of thedoor, and the resulting damage to the bolt mechanism. Tampering with themechanism by unauthorized persons is reduced to a minimum, as the methodof operation of the locking mechanism is not apparent to the casualobserver, and furthermore, because a suitable key or tool is needed torelease the operating lever from its locked position.

I have not attempted to describe the various modifications of theconstruction which may be adopted within the scope of the invention asdefined in the claims. Obviously, I do not limit myself to anyparticular form of operating lever, and in some aspects of the inventionit is not necessary that the locking bolt for the operating lever becarried by the lever itself, as distinguished from some other part ofthe mechanism.

What I claim is:

1. In panic bolt mechanism, the combi nation of a case, an operatinglever having a part projecting into the case, a bolt, a link connectedwith the bolt, a pin connecting the link with the lever, and meanscoeperating with said pin to arrest the movement of the lever;substantially as described.

2. In panic bolt mechanism the combination of a case, an operating leverhaving a part projecting into the case, avbolt, a link connected withthe bolt, a pin connecting the link with the lever, and meanscooperating with said pin to arrest the movement of the lever in bothdirections; substantially as described.

3. In panic bolt mechanism, the combination of a case, a lever pivotedthereto and having a part projecting into the case, a bolt, a linkconnected therewith, and a member connecting the link with the lever andcooperating with one of the case walls tolimit the movement of thelever; substantially as described.

4. In panic bolt mechanism, the combination of a case, a lever pivotedthereto and having a part projecting into the case, a bolt, a linkconnected therewith, and a member connecting the link with the lever andcooperating with one of the case walls to limit the movement of thelever in both directions; substantially as described.

5. In panic bolt mechanism, the combination of a case having a pair oflugs, a lever pivoted between said lugs, a bolt adapted for operation bysaid lever, and locking mechanism carried by the lever associated withone of said lugs; substantially as described.

6. In panic bolt mechanism, the combination of a case having a pair oflugs, a lever pivoted between said lugs, a bolt operable by said lever,and a spring pressed detent bolt carried by the lever between the lugsand adapted to engage an opening in one of said lugs; substantially asdescribed.

7. In a panic bolt mechanism, the combination of a casing, a leverpivoted thereto, a bolt operable by said lever, a positive locking meanscarried by the lever for locking the same in position automatically whenthe bolt is released, said locking means being arranged within theconfines of the casing, substantially as described.

8. In a panic bolt mechanism, the combination of a casing, a leverpivotally connected thereto having one end outside the casing and theother confined within the casing, a bolt operable by said lever, and aspring actuated locking means carried by the lever and confined withinthe casing adapted to lock said lever in position when the bolt isreleased.

9. In a panic bolt mechanism, the combination of a casing having a lugthereon, a lever pivotally connected to said lug, a bolt adapted foroperation by said lever, and a key actuated locking mechanism carried bythe lever having a locking member asso ciated with said lug as and forthe purpose specified.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 28th day ofFebruary, 1914:.

ALBERT A. PAGE.

Witnesses:

MABEL A. BUSSE, HELEN F. STAHNKE.

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Entrants, Washington, D. G.

